Hottest New Restaurants That Recently Opened in Durham & Chapel Hill

Foodies of The Triangle are always hungry for new restaurants! Fortunately, there are new restaurants popping up all the time, especially in Durham & Chapel Hill. It seems like there are new spots to try out, everywhere you look, as brand new commercial developments of mixed-use projects or re-development of existing properties are booming and going up quick! Just as one space gets finished and opens its doors for business officially, another one not so far away begins its own journey as well, from scratch, and so goes the cycle.

In 2017, the Durham & Chapel Hill area became home to a new seafood restaurant, a new taco bar, several cafes, and various other locally owned establishments that are drawing lots of buzz. Check out this list of the hottest new restaurants that recently opened. Some of them are already wildly popular with the locals and visitors from all over The Triangle area:

Saint James Seafood

The opening of Saint James Seafood was much anticipated throughout 2017. It finally opened its doors in November. It offers fresh seafood dishes such as Red Snapper Crudo and Caramelized Scallops. Locals also love the dessert offerings – especially the Chocolate Silk Pie!

Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter

Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter is a diner that recently opened on the ground floor of Downtown Durham’s Unscripted Hotel. It serves comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Lakewood

The Lakewood is the latest restaurant offering from beloved Durham Chef Phoebe Lawless. Her new restaurant focuses on American dishes created with locally sourced ingredients. It also features an open rooftop, so you can dine while gazing at the stars!

Flair Restaurant & Wine Bar

Bartaco

Bartaco is a taco and tequila bar with a coastal vibe that recently opened up in Chapel Hill. Locals love the chill vibe and the tasty tacos. There will be another location opening up in Raleigh sometime in 2018!

Maverick’s Smokehouse & Taproom

North Carolinians can never have enough BBQ and beer options. Maverick’s Smokehouse and Taproom answered that call and opened up in September 2017. It features BBQ of all kinds – Carolina, Memphis, Texas, and more!

Lily’s Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe

There is ALWAYS room for more dessert in Durham, especially if involves cheesecake! Lily’s Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe just opened, and in addition to cheesecake, it serves French pastries, cupcakes, and coffee beverages.

Another cafe that recently opened to rave reviews in Durham is Kaffeinate, which serves innovative coffee beverages. Finch’s Restaurant, a popular Raleigh diner, recently moved and re-opened in Durham as well, to the locals delight.

Other restaurants that will be opening pretty soon in the Durham and Chapel Hill area include Sushioki, which will serve sushi burritos, and COPA, which will serve Cuban food. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a foodie in Durham and Chapel Hill.

Amy originally hails from Long Island, NY but has lived in North Carolina for over 20 years and considers it home. You may know her as the force behind Raleigh Specials Tonight, a blog she ran from 2009-2015. Raleigh Specials Tonight lives on via Facebook, Twitter, and the Raleigh Nightlife blog. When she's not writing for various websites or running digital marketing campaigns, Amy can be found out and about Downtown Raleigh living it up, at Carolina Hurricanes hockey games, reading non-fiction books, listening to podcasts, traveling to new places or simply enjoying time with friends and family.

In various parts of the country, there is a unique hospitality venture that incorporates hotel amenities, activities, and dining in one cohesive and artful experience. The 21c Museum Hotel properties allow a stay in a boutique hotel while contemporary art is just steps away -- and resides on multiple floors generally right below or above...

919Blog.com is a unique hyper local community powered blog & and a one of a kind multi platform publishing hub covering the entire Raleigh - Durham metro area. We reach hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors, a majority from within The Triangle region as well as all over North Carolina. Since 2017, 919 Blog has been ranked as the #1 Blog in all of North Carolina by Feedspot. Our website offers exclusive advertising & sponsorship opportunities as low as $499/month without any setup fees or long-term commitments. If you would like to amplify your message locally and grow your reach across targeted categories and posts, please contact us for more detailed information.